CFE Fund and Wells Fargo Foundation Expand Bank On Fellowship

In this November 2023 press release, the CFE Fund announced the fourth cohort of Bank On Fellows, with funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The Wells Fargo Foundation’s investment will support six full-time Bank On Fellows for two years to help connect the more than 24 million people living outside of the U.S. financial system with safe, low-cost banking accounts.

This fourth cohort of Bank On Fellows includes: Bank On Arizona; Bank On CLE; Bank On Inland
SoCal; Kentucky Bank On Network; Bank On New Mexico; and Bank On Northeast Louisiana. They will
join a community of 100 local Bank On coalitions across the country, led by or working closely with local
government to expand access to financial products through payment and program opportunities
including unemployment insurance, workforce development programs, and more. This cohort includes
three statewide coalition leaders who will work to expand banking access across their entire states.

Bank On National Account Standards (2023-2024)

Working closely with our Bank On National Advisory Board and other key stakeholders, the CFE Fund released the Bank On National Account Standards. These standards provide local programs with a benchmark for account partnerships with financial institutions, and include both core and recommended features. The Standards were inspired by the 2012 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Model Safe Accounts Template. View the Spanish language version of the Bank On National Account Standards here.

CFE Fund Comment Letter on Community Development Financial Institution Revisions

The CFE Fund recently submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Department of Treasury on the proposed revisions to the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certification application.  The letter is specifically supportive of the inclusion of an expanded question evaluating a financial institution applicant’s checking or share account features and its use of Bank On National Account Standards as a guide. It’s a clear recognition of the impact of the Bank On national movement and the critical importance of safe and affordable banking options to meeting the broader mission of the CDFI program.

CFE Fund Comment Letter on Community Reinvestment Act Reform

The CFE Fund recently submitted a comment letter to the Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on their proposal to amend the regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

Citing experiences from the Bank On movement, as well as the FEC Public initiative, the CFE Fund supported the proposal for a new Retail Services and Products Test that would evaluate a bank’s branch availability, delivery systems, and the responsiveness of their products to the needs of low- and moderate-income communities; the CFE Fund also supported the highlighting of the Bank On National Account Standards as an example of  a responsive deposit product. The CFE Fund suggested that the new Retail Services and Products Test 1) evaluates all large banks for the responsiveness of their deposit products; 2) enables “intermediate” sized banks to elect the Retail Services and Product Test; and 3) looks to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ Bank On National Data Hub as an example of key metrics that examiners might use to assess financial institution account engagement.

Finally, the CFE Fund supported the agencies’ proposal to create a separate definition for activities that help individuals and families make informed decisions about managing income, savings, credit, and expenses that is distinct from other community development services, and suggested highlighting activities that produce measurable impacts such as banking access, credit score improvement, debt reduction, and savings increases.

The Supervitamin Quarterly Newsletter, Issue 25

This issue, Issue 25, provides updates on the CFE Fund’s and partner cities’ financial empowerment efforts, including an announcement that the Bank On movement has certified more than 200 bank and credit union accounts, with partner financial institutions comprising 56% of the U.S. deposit marketshare. Additionally, the issue describes the launch of a new pilot, Small Business Boost, to bring FEC financial counseling to small business owners and entrepreneurs; shares updates from the Financial Navigators initiative; and details a new expansion of the CityStart initiative to incorporate a racial equity lens. Additionally, this issue features a guest column from ChexSystems President Ron Whyte, highlighting how the ChexSystems Bank On bundle works to reduce the traditional barriers of negative banking history for under- and un-banked people. 

The Supervitamin Quarterly Newsletter, Issue 24

This issue, Issue 24, provides updates on the CFE Fund’s and partner cities’ financial empowerment efforts, including an announcement of a new partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies to help grow the municipal financial empowerment field. 

The CFE Fund announced a $19 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies to: expand FEC financial counseling through the launch of FEC Academy; support the creation of a new pilot to embed FEC financial counseling into eviction prevention services; build out the Financial Navigators initiative; and invest in a racial-equity focused CityStart initiative. Additionally, this issue includes updates on the 2021 Bank On National Conference which took place in mid-November, with nearly 500 partners in attendance from across the country. This issue also features a guest column from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, highlighting the City’s Summer Jobs Connect initiative work providing summer jobs and financial education for Detroit youth.

 

 

The Supervitamin Quarterly Newsletter, Issue 23

This issue, Issue 23, provides updates on the CFE Fund’s and partner cities’ financial empowerment efforts, including those related to COVID-19 recovery. 

In advance of the newly expanded federal Child Tax Credit monthly payments, the CFE Fund and Bank On coalitions are highlighting the availability of safe and affordable Bank On certified accounts; the CFE Fund recently announced that there are over 100 accounts certified as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards. Additionally, the Summer Jobs Connect initiative has launched its eighth summer, and the CFE Fund recently selected a new cohort of Financial Empowerment Center partners.  This issue also features a guest column from Robin McKinney and Sara Johnsonfrom CASH Campaign of Maryland, highlighting their work with the Maryland Department of Labor to offer Bank On certified accounts for residents receiving unemployment payments.

CFE Fund Announces More Than 100 Bank On Certified Accounts

In this press release, the CFE Fund announced that there are now more than 100 bank and credit union accounts nationally certified as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards. Banks and credit unions offering certified accounts comprise over 50% of the U.S. deposit market share, and 40% of all US bank branches offer a certified account; nearly two million Bank On certified accounts were opened in 2019. With the certification of BMO Harris’ Smart Money™ Account, BOM Bank’s EZ Checking account, Rio Grande Credit Union’s Fresh Start Checking, US Eagle FCU’s Flex Checking account, and Wintrust Community Banks’ Money Smart Checking account, there are now 108 accounts certified as meeting Bank On National Account Standards. These accounts can expand access to safe and appropriate transactional accounts to the almost 36 million people outside of the mainstream financial system, and can be used to receive and manage the federal Child Tax Credit and other emergency payments.

To learn more about Bank On, visit www.cfefund.org/bankon.

CFE Fund Comment Letter on Community Reinvestment Act Modernization

The CFE Fund recently submitted a comment letter to the Federal Reserve Board on Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) modernization. Citing experiences from the Bank On movement, as well as the FECPublic initiative, the CFE Fund recommended that the CRA examination process should credit financial institutions’ provision of safe and affordable banking accounts and support for meaningful financial inclusion efforts.

The Supervitamin Quarterly Newsletter, Issue 22

This issue, Issue 22, provides updates on CFE Fund’s and partner cities’ COVID-19 response efforts. 

Since the pandemic began, 31 cities and counties have launched Financial Navigators initiatives to provide phone-based financial triage and resource referrals; 35 municipal Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) partners are offering, or are working to launch, one-on-one financial counseling through FEC programs; and more than 80 Bank On coalitions are working to connect their communities to safe and affordable banking products so they can safely receive and use stimulus payments, unemployment benefits, wages, and more. This issue also features a guest column from Nick Gradisarthe Mayor of Pueblo, CO, highlighting the key role the CityStart and Financial Navigators initiatives have had in Pueblo’s emergency response.